Barnett (33-7) was last seen getting squashed by heavyweight contender Travis Browne. Before going limp against "Hapa," the former "Babyfaced Assassin" was the winner of two straight, including a technical knockout win over ex-division champion Frank Mir.

Nelson (20-11), meanwhile, is trying to slam the brakes on his two-year skid, one that saw him win just one fight out of his last five. After Mark Hunt smashed him last year in Japan, "Big Country" was pushed around by Alistair Overeem in Texas.